The Oregon legal Age of Consent for sexual contact is 18 years old. There are a total of eleven states have set their age of consent at 18 years old, the highest legal age of consent in any state. Anyone who engages in sexual activity of any type with a partner under the applicable Age of Consent is breaking the law and can be charged with crimes ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony (statutory rape) depending on the jurisdiction in which they are prosecuted.

As a result, the Gervais, Oregon school district is technically promoting illegal statutory rape by virtue of giving away the condoms.

Unhappy parents have forced an Oregon school board to re-think its plan to begin handing out condoms to students – sixth-graders on up – when school starts up again this fall.

During a May meeting, school board members approved a plan in which trained teachers (presumably health teachers) would hand out prophylactics after first having “a discussion with the student,” StatesmanJournal.com reports. Some of those students could have been as young as 11 years old.

But when parents and community members caught wind of the “condoms-upon-request” plan, they flooded a June board meeting to express their displeasure.

“Some members of the public were offended that schools were stepping into the parents’ territory of addressing their children’s sexuality, according to minutes of the June board meeting,” StatesmanJournal.com reports.

“Others said condoms were not an effective solution to the problem. A few said students may need mental health help, not condoms. Another said abstinence should be promoted, not condoms. Many said they wanted help finding an alternative solution. No one spoke in support of the decision.”

On Wednesday, the Gervais school board voted to halt the plan until more research could be done.

Just-hired Superintendent Matt Henry “said his research found that other districts don’t put the responsibility of giving contraceptives to students on teachers. Instead, they might be referred to the health clinic, a counselor or an off-campus partner,” the news site reports.

“We would be the only district in Oregon if we proceeded to implement this as it is laid out in September,” said Henry.